Indicator.



No. 857,857. PATENTED JUNE 25. 19o?.

fw. A. EANISTEE E D. M. LAKE. y

l INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED 113.21', 19.07.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALBERT BANISTER AND DAVID M. LAKE, OF NEWARK,

NEW JERSEY.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 19o?.

Application filed February 27,1907. Serial No. 359,637.

To tZ/ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM ALBERT BANrs'rER and DAVID M. LAKE,citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Indicators 5 and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tofigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention is designed to provide an indicator, and has beendesigned particularly for displaying the numbers on automobile vehicles,the function of the device being to prevent the numbers being obstructedby dust and dirt, this being accomplished by providing a moving coverthat, in its movement, is being continually Awiped or brushed to keep itclean.

The device is also provided with a hollow casing in which the rotatingcover is installed, and within which is also arranged the number, thenumber being adapted to have a light shine through from the interior ofthe casing, to make the numeral plain in the dark.

The device is adapted for lighting by either electricity or a fuelconsuming light, and to this end the article is alsoconstructed toprovide a reservoir for oil or similar illuminant.

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a view showing the machine in elevation in one part of the view, andbeing broken away at the other to show theinterior construction. Fig. 2is a cross-section of the apparatus.

In our device we employ a casing 10 which can be provided with asuitable cover or lid 11. Secured to the casing 10 and projectinglongitudinally therethrough, is a support 12, which support can be usedto hold suitable electric lights 13, or acetylene gas or kerosene can beused, in which case the support 12 is used as a reservoir. In frontofthe light is a panel 14 which is preferably made of ground glass, orasimilar opalescent material, and on this panel is painted the number orthe device 15 that is to be displayed. This panel is held, at thebottom, on the support 12, and on the top by a shield 16 which is openat one end 17, and is provided, in its bottom, with slots 18 to provideventilation or draft when an oil lamp is used. Surrounding the support,the panel and the flue, above described, is a cylinder 19 which can bemade of glass or quartz, or any transparent material, and rests on oneend on the rollers 20, although equivalent devices can be installed forthese purposes. On the other end we prefer to fasten the plate 21 to thetransparent cylinder 19, this plate 21 having a projecting shaft 22which runs in a bearing 23 in the sidev of the casing 10, and suitabledriving mechanism 2A is installed to rotate the transparent cylinder.

When an oil lamp is used for an illuminant, it is necessary to provide adraft, and when the flue formed by the shield 16 is'not suflicient, theiange 21 can be provided with suitable openings 25, and the casing 10can be perforated as at 26. When electric light is used, however, theseopenings can all be dispensed with. Bearing on the transparent cylinder19, and inside the casing, is a wiping roller 27 which can be actuatedby the cylinder 19, or can be otherwise rotated. Directly underneath theopening in the front of the casing 10, through which a portion of theglass cylinder projects, is a cross rod 28 on which is pivoted asuitable leaf 29 which is constantly forced upward by the action of thespring 30, and a wiper 31, which can be made of any suitable material,but is preferably constructed of a rubber strip, constantly wipes thedust and the dirt from the transparent cylinder, and in the case ofantoniobiles this wiping makes it possible to see the letters, or thenumbers indicating what machine it is, very distinctly, at all times,which is not possible now on dusty roads where the usual license tagbecomes dirty and everything appears brown.

The wiping cylinder 27 is preferably covered with felt, and also assistsin keeping the transparent cylinder polished and clean. The transparentcylinder in the day time does not at all interfere with a ready readingof the numbers, and the light behind the panel with the numbers on it,allows the numbers to be plainly read at night.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. An indicatorcomprising a casing have ing a legend therein, a rotating transparentTOO cylinder passing over the legend, and a Wiper to clean the Cylinderas it rotates,

2. An indicator. comprising a panel, a transparent movable cover for thepanel, and

' a Wiper to Wipe the cover when it moves.

3. An indicator comprising a casing, an opalescent panel, a transparentcylinder inclosing the panel and projecting from the casing, means forrotating the cylinder, and a Wiper installed to Wipe the cylinder Whenit is rotated.

4. An indicator comprising a casing having lights therein, a support forthe lights secured to the casing, a flue above the lights and leading tothe outside of the casing, a panel Within the casing, a transparentcylinder Within the casing and projecting slightly therefrom andinclosing the flue, the panel and the support, means for rotating thecylinder, and a wiping device in engagement With the transparentcylinder.

5. An indicator comprising a casing, a support therein, lamps on thesupport, a shield above the lamps and communicating With the atmosphere,a panel secured in front of the lights and between the shield and thesupport, a transparent cylinder inclosing the lights and the panel, awiping roll Within the casing and engaging the cylinder, means forrotating the cylinder, and a wiping device in the casing and inengagement with the transparent cylinder.

6. An indicator comprising an indicating device, a transparent cylindersurrounding the same, means for rotating the cylinder, a casing forsupporting the cylinder, a shaft in the casing, a pivoted leaf on theshaft, a spring between the leaf and the casing to normally throw theleaf toward the cylinder, and a wiping strip on the end of the lea'lland in engagement with the cylinder.

In testimony, that We Claim the foregoing, We have hereunto set ourhands this 26th day of February 1907. I

WILLIAM ALBERT BANISTER. DAVID M. LAKE.

Witnesses:

WVM. H. CAMFIELD, E. A. PELL.

